will going to 18's kill my ride, mess up dynamics?

[Sella Turcica]

I was thinking a set of 18's for the camry might be fun when my current tires wear out. I have read a number of threads, most asking "will this FIT my car". I don't care about that at the moment.

What I care about is this. I don't mind a slightly stiffer ride, but will 18s kill the ride completely? Will I get more torque steer on road imperfections? Will the steering weight be messed up?

I have never upgraded the wheels on a FWD car - most of mine have been RWD so this stuff was less concerning at the time.

Thanks everyone,

[PRINCESS PEACH]

nope. 18's on a 03 Camry is not too bad. Just get some meaty tires and you should be good to go.

[touringcamry]

It should be fine. Unless you're getting lightweight forged rims, probably the biggest difference you'll feel is the higher rotational inertia that the larger (heavier) wheels have. Going 2 inches larger I think the ride won't deteriorate too much.

I went from 205/65-15 to 215/50-17 on my old car and the ride didn't change enough that I cared. It was a stiffer ride, but not by much.

[eyeball96]

I ran 225/40's on 18's for a while, and the ride deteriorated quite a bit on my Gen 3.5. Now I have 18" (not running currently) that have 225/45 Kumhos on them, and the ride, while still rough, they ride much smoother than the 40's.

It really depends on the height of side wall of the tire you plan on running as far as how much degradation of the ride you have.

Ride quality is more dependent on the Tire size, not the Rim size.

[ScrooYoo]

Use a tire calculator and figure out the tire size that has the thickest sidewall without being more than 3% more than your OEM wheel diameter.

Going any more (or less) than 3% of OEM wheel diameter and you are asking for trouble.

BTW 17" are more than adequate to really upgrade the look of your car IMO and are cheaper. The gen 5 SE's came with 17"' stock, so I don't imagine 18" will kill ur ride.

[Punks_Not_Dead5]

^ actually the Gen 5 SE's came with 16's not 17's

[scamry]

^yeah, but the gen5.5 se came with 17s.

I put 18x8 wheels with 235/40/18 tires on my gen5 camry, and they didn't affect the ride too much. obviously it was somewhat stiffer, but the ride wasn't too adversely affected. the difference depends a lot on your road conditions as well, as the stiffer, wider track will follow road grooves more than the stock wheels.

if you are putting 18 inch wheels on your car, you shouldn't be looking for extreme comfort, but I'm sure you know this since you've put wheels on other cars.

[Frodo65]

Originally Posted by Sella Turcica

I was thinking a set of 18's for the camry might be fun when my current tires wear out. I have read a number of threads, most asking "will this FIT my car". I don't care about that at the moment.

What I care about is this. I don't mind a slightly stiffer ride, but will 18s kill the ride completely? Will I get more torque steer on road imperfections? Will the steering weight be messed up?

I have never upgraded the wheels on a FWD car - most of mine have been RWD so this stuff was less concerning at the time.

Thanks everyone,

Few things -

• If the struts are tired, the extra unsprung weight and its location is more likely to make the ride feel worse than it would be with fresh dampers. Anything over 50K miles on the struts (on 'average' roads) would be an indication for a fresh set of struts - likely with firmer dampening. Tired struts and oversize wheels will 'hop' more than the same tired struts and stock wheel - and that hop will mess up handling.
• If you go with forged wheels, the weight gain should be minimal. Cost is higher, but the wheels are stronger and lighter than cast. 10#/corner increase will do more damage to the ride and handling than the shorter sidewall height.
• Consider the condition of the roads in your area. Shorter sidewall will be more at risk for bending wheels and/or a failure from potholes. If you have decent roads where you drive, it should be OK; on patch-on-patch-on-hole streets, I'd think twice.
• Understand that you're locking in to a much more expensive replacement tire, frequently with a relatively short treadlife. The higher performance variants are even shorter-lived. Also realize that other costs (like balancing and flat repair) may be higher - check with your favorite store to know the true cost.
• Understand that wider tires are more likely to 'tramline' on longitudinal grooves and are also more likely to be fussier with balance and alignment. That may mean repeated trips to the tire store to get right.
• The tire you choose will have more to do with all of the above than anything else. Understand the compromise of the tire, and match it up to your driving style and conditions.

The 'fashion wheels' are more more about style than anything else - and some fashion statements are quite a pain. Also keep in mind that the typical Camry soft suspension tune won't truly benefit from the shorter sidewall.

[scamry]

^^^ man, it sounds like you hate big wheels haha........I live in an area that probably has some of the worst roads in the country( i don't exaggerate), and i have 18s with a 40 series sidewall, and I am slammed on coilovers. sure the ride isn't supple and smooth, but you don't make these kinds of upgrades without already having that in the back of your mind.... it's a dual edged sword....but to me, and many others here, it's worth it. the OP just has to decide whether he is cool with that..

do you plan to lower your car?

[LXS-mode]

16's to 18's ofcourse there's gonna be a difference. but it's still manegable. my dad has stock 17's on his camry. i have 18's and my uncle has 16's. for me i like mine the best... LOL

[PhatRoyale]

It's all dependent on the aspect ratio you choose.

For something comfortable, yet durable, stick to 45-series or higher.